Why do we teach British values?

British values are ideas or thoughts which are considered important in helping us all to live happy, healthy and safe lives in modern British society.  These values are shared by many people from other nations too.

British values have their roots in the Christian tradition of the country.  They grow out of the fundamental belief that all humans are created in the image of God and are all equally significant to Him.  This belief underpins our approach to promoting British values.  

Church of England schools are charged with serving the common good.  We see promoting a shared set of values as part of this mission, because we believe they are key to reaching our individual and collective potential, or realising ‘life in all its fullness’ (John 10:10).  We want pupils to leave Holy Trinity as educated citizens ready to participate hopefully and thoughtfully in all aspects of society, so that they in turn can contribute to the common good.

What are British values?

British values are defined as follows:

Democracy
A democracy is a culture built upon freedom and equality, where everyone is aware of their rights and responsibilities.

Democracy helps us to have our voices heard, to be treated fairly and encourage fair processes and systems.

The rule of law
The rule of law is the belief that rules and laws should be fair and help everyone to live safely and happily. It also involves everyone working hard to follow the rules and laws.

Individual liberty
Individual liberty is the belief that all people have the right to live and express themselves as they choose. It involves the human rights of all being respected and protected.

Mutual respect & tolerance of different faiths and beliefs
This value asks us to understand that we all don’t share the same beliefs and values.  It is about respecting the values, ideas and beliefs of others whilst not imposing our own onto them.  It involves no one person, or group of people, thinking they are more important, deserving, or better than anyone else.

How are British Values linked to the strands of our School Vision?

Raising aspirations

British values are aspirational.  If we all live by the values everyone can thrive and achieve their potential.  

Reaching our potential

Pupils can only achieve their true potential if they are able to engage fully in society.  Pupils learn how democracy and the law work, so they know how they can participate and influence the direction of the country later on.  They will also learn how the law aims to protect vulnerable groups in British society. 

Learning to live well together

Through the study of British values pupils learn the social skills that they need to access all that is good in a diverse, modern Britain.    Having an understanding of others and being able to accept that people are different in a variety of ways is vital to being successful in life.  

Our approach to teaching British values

British values are an integral part of our PSHE & Citizenship curriculum.  We have identified the knowledge that we want pupils to have at the end of each key stage and plan to explore this, in part, by focussing on the struggles and contributions of a diverse range of groups in British society. 

KS2 pupils will study case studies that highlight the importance of different British values and the impact that a lack of respect and tolerance towards others can have on individual liberty. These case studies acknowledge the valuable contributions made by marginalised individuals to creating a better life for themselves & others.  They allow pupils to reflect on the fact that the law changes to reflect shifts in attitudes.

Pupils also learn about important institutions, like the monarchy and The Commonwealth, so they know what the Royal Family do and understand the ceremonies that play such a big part in British life. 

See PHSE Curriculum page for more details.